The Lucky Ones
by jm1681
Summary: Companion piece to 'unInvited Guests'. Revy and Rock have begun a new life together outside of Roanapur. Just a few short months later, an old friend shows up with some unfortunate news about their old home. Revy/Rock, M for language. Please Review.
1. Chapter 1

_So this story slots in between chapters 5 & 6 of 'unInvited Guests'. It's a companion piece and it's at this time that I'd like to take a moment to apologize. Reading this and understanding everything that is going on herein means reading not one, or two, but FIVE [short] stories. _

_If you've read my 'Revy fix Rock fix Revy' tales, you're fine. If you clicked on this with no prior knowledge of any of those five stories, you're probably not going to understand much of what is going on :(_

_Over the past few weeks, I have been getting my ass kicked by this story. I've had it planned for months but only got the motivation to write it these past few weeks. I've changed a lot as a writer since I last wrote for this "series" and I hope those of you who have read and enjoyed my RfRfR tales can still enjoy this one._

_On that note, I'd like to bid everyone a fond farewell as this will be my last planned Black Lagoon fic. I may still drop by every now and again with a random one-shot, but at what is now 12 fics for this archive, I've long overstayed my welcome._

_So, without further ado; once again, I do not own Black Lagoon :)_

_

* * *

_

"Rock, I love you but I swear to fucking Christ, if you don't move this fuckin' car I'm going to have these kids right fuckin' here!" Revy barked as her hands gently wrapped her large belly.

The moment they thought they'd lost for ever, the thing they'd never planned for but embraced so completely when it fell on them; it was finally here and as Rock recklessly tore through the country roads of upstate New York, he mentally prepared himself for what he knew was to come. Revy had come a long way since they had been together, and while he was able to take Revy out of Roanapur, he'd never get Revy out of Rebecca.

He racked his brain trying to think of a way to keep her calm without angering her, "Just try to concentrate on breathing."

"Grrr…" Here it comes, "…you sound like fucking Chinglish with that fucking bullshit. 'Breathing very important'," She replied in a heavy mocking accent.

"Just shut the fuck up and _you_ concentrate on…" Her words dropped off as the first of what would soon be a long series of labor pains came to vocal fruition. Within a few moments, the pain that had built in her manifested into loud shriek.

"Are you alright?" Rock asked.

As both the pain and her scream faded, she replied, "Once they get these kids outta me, I'm gonna fuckin' kill you, you hear me?!"

"Me?! What did I do?"

"I didn't get knocked up by my fuckin' self! _YOU_ did this to me dipshit!"

Her doctor had warned Rock that she might get like this. Unfortunately, the doctor didn't know her as well as he did. Revy had threatened Rock's life so many times in the past but merely on a whim. While it didn't take much more than that for Revy to take a life, now that there was pain in the mix, he began to grow just a _little_ nervous of her threats.

The car came to a screeching halt outside the Hospital and Rock immediately leapt from the car. He had notified the Hospital that they were en route and thankfully a nurse was waiting outside with a wheelchair to meet them.

As he came around to Revy's side of the car, he opened the door, very quick to receive more of her colorful vocabulary, "It's about fucking time dumb-ass!"

Rock and the nurse helped Revy out of the car and into the chair. As the nurse wheeled her into the hospital, Revy took in her surroundings, her eyes focusing for a moment on the in-hospital church as she shouted, "If I were you, I'd get in that fucking chapel and make your peace with God, Rock! I swear when I…" Again a loud scream interrupted her rant.

"Don't worry, a lot of women get this way," The nurse attempted to reassure Rock.

"Right…" He replied nervously.

Finally the pain subsided and Revy noticed everyone in the lobby looking at her, "What the fuck are all you fucking assholes looking at?!"

Rock slowed from following the nurse and attempted to apologize to the families and patients for his wife, "I'm sorry. She's really not--"

She cut him off from the waiting elevator, "ROCK!!!"

It seemed to dawn on him as clear as day in that moment. The hospital, a very pregnant Revy in a wheelchair; he was going to be a father.

-

In the delivery room, Rock was at Revy's bedside wearing a hospital gown over his typical shirt and tie, which just so happened to match his facemask. Revy's contractions were in full swing and even with an array of painkillers flowing through her veins, she was still in agony. Rock didn't need to offer her his hand to squeeze when she felt pain; she simply grabbed a hold of it as soon as she was on the bed.

As a series of contractions ceased, she gasped for air and quietly asked, "Have I told you how much I fucking hate you?"

"I love you too Revy," Rock replied with a warm smile. Finally after all the agony and hatred she had felt up to this moment, she calmed down slightly and a faint smile formed on her lips.

A few moments later the doctor had come in to check on the once again happy couple. While neither of them could see him smiling under that green mask, they could tell by his cheery demeanor; this was the type of guy who was built to deliver babies.

"You two ready to become parents?" The doctor asked in a bright and jolly voice.

"Please, just get these things outta me," Revy quietly begged.

"Oh come on it's not--"

Revy cut the doctor off. Her rage boiling to the surface as she spoke through her teeth, "I've got a gun in the car doc, now get these goddamn kids outta me!!"

The doctor looked to Rock who gave him a wide-eyed nod bringing about a simple reply from the doctor, "Right, so let's get started."

"Alright…" The doctor checked her chart for her name, "…Rebecca. I need you to breathe."

Rock couldn't help but muse over the similarities between being born and being killed. Blood everywhere, spine tingling screams, more pain than one should ever be forced to deal with; he found it oddly humorous.

The first child came to be within minutes and while Rock was nearly overcome with the situation, the doctor quickly commented, "Alright Revy, one down, one to go."

With one child out, she felt incredible relief in the moment, "How 'bout we just leave the other one in there?"

The doctor chuckled assuming her words to be a joke. After observing the lack of a smile on her face he replied, "Oh, you're serious. Uh, no; the other one _does_ need to come out too."

She began to cry to herself, "God fuckin' dammit."

The nurses and Rock came back to her sides to help her up and to once again begin pushing. Within a few agonizing moments and after what had to have been some of the most violent screams to have ever escaped her lips, their second child was born.

-

"You don't need to do this," Eda stated from across the desk of her CIA superior, "It's unnecessary."

"Rebecca Lin--"

Her superior began only for her to cut him off, "Revy."

Accepting her correction, the man continued, "_Revy_ has caused us a tremendous amount of trouble in the past. She's killed many of our own and I have no desire to cut her any slack in this matter."

"Sir, you don't know her like I do. Doing this to her could shut her down altogether," Eda replied.

"Or it could put her in overdrive which is what we want; an angry sociopath who enjoys the game." The man replied.

Eda wasn't one for begging but the situation seemed to call for it, "Please sir, just let me do this my way."

Now growing impatient, her superior replied, "No. The decision has been made. She has six weeks to recover; then she's ours. Now, if you have nothing more to add, I'm very busy."

Angry to the point of nearly drawing her Glock; she struggled to reply as was expected of her, "Yes sir."

_-_

Rock looked on Revy's sleeping form as he held their sleeping children, one in each arm. He sat at the side of her bed and while she was asleep, he couldn't help but break his smile to quietly congratulate his wife, "You did so well."

The infants occasionally yawned and tossed in the soft fabric the nurses had snugly wrapped them with. A part of him wanted so badly to wake Revy but he couldn't bring himself to do it. She was finally at peace and the 9 months of hell she had experienced were behind her. She earned every second of this rest and regardless of how precious the lives he held were in that instant, she would have the rest of her life to watch them.

So caught up in his children, Rock didn't notice the nurse at the door until she quietly knocked, "Mr. Okajima?"

Rock looked up and replied quietly, "Yes?"

The nurse let herself in and approached Revy's bed.

"What are you doing?" Rock quietly asked as the nurse drew some blood.

"Just gathering a small sample for a few tests; nothing to be concerned about." The nurse replied quietly with a smile.

Just as the nurse had left the room Revy tossed lightly in her bed. Rock's eyes locked on her as she turned and slowly opened her eyes. While any other day he might not be sure what to expect, the slow rate at which she opened her eyes told that she wouldn't be yelling or causing a ruckus that would wake their children.

"Hey you." She said with a faint smile.

"Hey." Rock replied, "How're you feeling?"

"Like shit." Revy replied, "Be glad you'll never have to do that."

Rock chuckled lightly, "We have work to do, you know?"

"I'm done working, you do whatever you want." Revy replied as her eyes fell shut.

"Revy…" Rock asked to no avail. She was completely out cold once again.

-

Eda stood before her bed in a shady New York City hotel room. Her long blond hair was tied up behind her and she donned a very anti-typical black turtleneck with black slacks. No fancy pink glasses, nun's habit, flattering clothing or flamboyantly styled hair, just elegant simplicity. She retrieved her Glock from her suitcase and checked it before slipping it into the holster she had strapped behind her.

She closed her suitcase and near simultaneously heard a knock at the door. Adrenaline immediately began to pump through her veins and she quietly approached the door, sure to retrieve her Glock and snap the slide back.

"Yes?" She asked with her back pressed up against the wall beside the door.

"It's me." A familiar voice quietly spoke.

"Rico." She whispered quietly to herself.

She opened the door revealing "brother" Rico wearing similarly proper attire as opposed to his typical church-going garments.

"What're you doing here?" She asked as she slipped the weapon behind her once again.

"Aren't you gonna clear that?" Rico asked.

"Doesn't seem like there's much of a point. Aren't we supposed to be raiding at 2200?"

"Yeah."

He blatantly hesitated bringing Eda to ask, "What's on your mind Rico?"

"They're sending me to get Rock." Rico replied.

Eda chuckled slightly as she propped herself up against the dresser, "Makes sense. He won't panic when he sees you and he'll only know what's going on when it's too late."

"You have my word; I won't let anything happen to them."

Eda smiled and walked passed him towards the door. As she reached the door, she turned to face him, "For your sake I hope you don't. If one hair on that guy's head is out of place when she comes back to them, I'll be the least of your worries."


	2. Chapter 2

Six weeks later, Revy briskly but quietly walked through the halls of her and Rock's home. She came to a near wall-length mirror and stopped for a second. She turned to observe her narrow profile in the mirror and smiled in relief, "I feel better about those fuckin' garlic knots now."

She continued through the halls when Rock called from upstairs, "Revy!"

She groaned slightly as she stopped in her tracks. She would be a liar if having the twins hadn't dramatically changed her life. Her motherly instincts were in full swing, but every now and again, she needed to get away, even just for an hour.

"Is everything alright?" She called back as she opened a hall closet, retrieving a lockbox.

"Can you pickup another package of diapers while you're out?" Rock asked.

Revy smiled slightly. Even though she was more-or-less abandoning her husband and children for the sake of her own sanity, Rock not only accepted it, but knew she was planning to sneak out as well.

Almost as if he truly was reading her mind, Rock again called out, "Love you!"

She slipped her shoes on and proceeded outside.

-

Gunshots filled the air at an indoor shooting range just a few miles from Rock and Revy's home. She approached the check-in gate to the facility and the attendant greeted her, "Lady, you must have the greatest husband on earth."

Revy smiled as she signed herself in, "When we started seeing each other, he always asked what came first: him or the guns."

"Guns every time, huh?" the attendant asked as she slipped him the lockbox which he promptly opened revealing her cutlass.

"I'd say it was about fifty-fifty," Revy replied with a smile.

The attendant checked her guns as usual before placing them back in the case, "If I had to pick between those 92s and my wife, I'd have been divorced years ago."

Revy chuckled as she accepted the lockbox and the attendant finished his thought, "Box 12 is open."

"Thanks, George," she replied before being buzzed through the doorway to the range.

This indoor range was so different from anything she'd ever experienced. In Roanapur, the whole city had been her personal firing range, complete with moving targets that also fought back on occasion. This though, firing off lead into paper, for some reason, it warmed her; calming her in a way that lead into flesh never had. Often times she arrived when the range opened only to leave when the range closed.

She retrieved a single cutlass from the lockbox, racked it and slipped on ear protection. She took aim down range, both hands firmly wrapped around the weapon's ivory grips and began to fire off rounds; the metallic clang of the tuned weapon echoing throughout the range.

-

Roughly an hour later, Revy pulled into the driveway of her and Rock's home in the failing daylight. As the car came to a halt alongside Rock's, she immediately noticed the front door cracked open slightly. While they lived practically in the middle of nowhere, their time in Roanapur meant that door never stayed unlocked, let alone open.

Now alarmed, she clicked the lockbox open and retrieved one of her guns. She racked the slide and made way towards the house. As she approached the door, she saw the doorknob was intact and the frame showed no signs of forced entry. Using the barrel of her gun, she pushed the front door open all the way.

"Rock?!" She called from the doorway.

No response instantly upped her anxiety. Her blood on full boil, she raised the cutlass, both hands once again wrapping the grip. She lifted her foot behind her using her toes to slam the door closed and made her way up stairs to the bedrooms; nothing missing or out of place along the way.

"Rock?!" She again called into the empty rooms. Aside from the fact that they were gone, nothing was out of place in the twins' room either.

She quietly descended the staircase and started searching the first floor, beginning with the kitchen. Her eyes frantically glossed over every surface and every piece of furniture. Upstairs, throughout most of the ground floor, there were no signs of struggle anywhere to be found. Finally she made way into the only room she hadn't yet checked; the living area. Separated from the rest of the home via a Japanese style shoji screen, Revy's heart was in her throat as she carefully slid the paper door to its side.

A darkly dressed figure with blonde hair stood propped up against the small entertainment cabinet; their arms folded. While the figure's face was angled down and out of view, the figure's long wrapped up hair was all Two-Hands needed to know she was staring down a woman.

"Get a name fast bitch!" Revy barked with her cutlass deadlocked on the woman's skull.

She raised her face into view and quietly spoke, the duress in her voice indicative that something was very wrong, "Hey Revy."

Revy lowered her gun slightly and asked, "Eda? Is that you?"

Eda's arms unfolded to her sides and she stood from the cabinet, "In the flesh."

"I don't get it. What the fuck…" Revy struggled to gather her thoughts, "…how did you even--"

"Shut up," Eda quietly and peacefully ordered cutting Revy off and gaining her full attention.

"I swear Rebecca, this wasn't my idea," Her words carried a tone with them. While there was no doubt in her mind whom she was staring at and speaking with, Eda's words didn't quite match the person Revy knew.

"What wasn't your idea? What the fuck is going on? Where're Rock and my kids?" Revy asked.

"I swear on my life they're safe and--"

Revy cut her off. "They're safe and fucking what?!"

"Revy…" She knew _exactly_ what was coming with the conclusion of her thought, "…I'm CIA Revy. Since the day you met me, I've known everything there is to know about you."

Revy's fingers dug into the frame of the cutlass she held until her rage eventually overtook her. She threw the gun to the ground and charged at Eda with her fists clenched tight, "You fucking bitch!"

Her fist slammed into Eda's face with all of her body weight behind it. The two women crashed to the ground and while Revy was fully prepared to continue pummeling the traitor she once accepted as a friend, Eda wouldn't make it easy. She'd been trained far beyond the capacity Revy had ever witnessed in Roanapur and wasted no time turning the situation around.

She tossed her legs up, crossed them and pulled down against Revy's chest knocking her rival flat on her back. She slid herself back along the floor to create some distance between them. Revy quickly got back to her feet and again charged towards Eda. While Eda was willing to let that first punch slide, she had no desire to be struck again. As Revy charged her, she merely slipped out of the way, her hands delicately directing Revy towards a wall. Now even more frustrated, Revy once again threw herself at Eda, this time her evasion caused her to land just beside her cutlass.

Her temper now beyond wanting to turn Eda into a pummeled sack of meat, Revy stuck to what she knew and picked up the loaded weapon. She rolled over, still lying on the floor and locked her Beretta on Eda who had in turn drawn her Glock on Revy. They remained motionless and silent for just a moment, a slight drip of blood emanating from Eda's lip.

"You done yet Two-Hands?" Eda asked quietly.

Revy lie in thought for a moment as she caught her breathe. Finally, she asked, "What the fuck is this?"

"The people I work for have used Roanapur as a means to control international crime for years. Before you, before Balalaika, our operatives kept Roanapur's activities in check. When Hotel Moscow and the Triad moved in, the strong killed off the weak. Our people weren't needed in numbers and our presence fell into the background. Just a few others and myself remained to keep an eye on things if for some reason, the shit hit the fan."

"Who else?" Revy asked.

"Rico, and Yolanda."

Revy smirked as she remembered being tended to by Yolanda, "If they were your people why the fuck did they help me? Come to think of it, why the fuck did you? You both knew who and what I was. Way I see it you'da all been fuckin' heroes back home if you had just let me die that day."

"Revy--"

Revy cut her off, "Don't fuckin' bullshit me! Gimme a fuckin' answer goddammit! Why the fuck am I still alive?"

"Because we never knew when we might need you," Eda replied.

Revy's eyes widened at this revelation and Eda continued, "You were the best gun we'd ever seen in Roanapur. My superiors knew that one day your skills might be useful to them and now, that day is here."

"What?"

"Remember some of your more recent jobs for Chang? A certain 'cleaning of house' where he sent you and the crew to deal with a few boatloads of Libyans?" Eda asked.

The memory replayed itself in her mind forcing a slight smile on her lips, "Rings a bell."

"Looks like they never got the message or they were just too stupid to heed the warning." Eda replied, "They came back in even greater numbers. The Triad and Hotel Moscow knew they were outnumbered and in an attempt to make peace, offered them their own bit of Roanapur."

"Fuckin' idiots," Revy replied.

"They had no choice. Now they're everywhere and without Chang and Balalaika, the Triad and Hotel Moscow are nowhere near as strong they once were; they've taken heavy losses on both sides and now the Libyans are just about ready for a complete toppling of the hierarchy."

"What the fuck does this have to do with me and my family?" Revy asked through her teeth.

Eda smiled slightly, "As I said, my superiors kept you alive in case they ever required your distinct prowess for causing a big fuckin' mess. They knew that by taking Rock and the twins that you'd have no choice but to agree to their terms."

"Where are they?" Revy asked.

"Rico is bringing them to a safe house where they'll be briefed of the situation. In the meantime, Chang, Balalaika and Dutch have all been contacted and informed of the situation, within reason of course."

"Of course," Revy sneered, "If you told them who you really were Fry-face would have your fuckin' hide on her mantle."

Revy finally lifted herself from the floor, sure to keep her gun trained on Eda, "So what did you and your fuckin' superiors have to do to get Chang and Balalaika to agree to your fuckin' little homecoming?"

"Like the Kapitan needed a reason to go to war? She's got an army in her pocket and she's been out of the game for nearly 9 months, she was practically salivating at the opportunity," Eda replied.

"And Chang?" Revy asked.

"Please, he's almost as trigger happy as you."

Now realizing she was fighting a losing battle, Revy began to lose her determination, "Dutch?"

"Left some things with Bao at the Yellow Flag; seems as good a reason as any to pick them up."

Revy stared blankly at Eda. She had seen enough movies to know how this sort of thing worked; the only way she was going to see Rock and her children again was to go along with the plan. While she wasn't entirely unhappy to have begun a somewhat normal life, a part of her would always crave the sort of action Roanapur was so quick to supply.

A slight smile came across her lips and Revy asked, "You said this wasn't your plan right?"

"I figured it wouldn't take much motivation to get you interested. My bosses just wanted to make sure you said yes," Eda replied.

Revy lowered her gun and turned to the hall closet to retrieve another lockbox, which she placed on the floor beside her before reaching back into the closet. She retrieved her shoulder holsters and held them at a distance for a moment. Eda was right; she wouldn't have needed much motivation for one last hurrah.

She turned back to Eda, her smiling fading slightly as she replied, "What the fuck are we waiting for?"


	3. Chapter 3

Revy stared out the window of the plane and Eda merely observed her. She hadn't fully realized just how different Revy really was. She knew she would perform without fail once they were at war but watching her, silent and saddened at being away from her family, Eda felt insurmountable guilt for being forced to do this to her.

"Hey…" Eda asked bringing Revy to turn to face her, "…you alright?"

Revy turned back to face the window, "Pretty stupid fuckin' question."

"I tried Revy. I tried to convince them--"

Revy snapped back to face her as she cut her off, "You should've tried harder."

Revy slowly turned back to the window and Eda waved down a stewardess. Completely entranced by the lights beneath them as they flew over twinkling Manhattan streets, Revy didn't notice that Eda had received an in-flight phone from the stewardess.

Eda tapped Revy on the shoulder, merely eliciting a response but no physical reaction, "What?"

This time she tapped Revy on the head with the phone bringing her to explode slightly as she turned to face her, "What the fu…"

"It's for you," Eda replied with a smile.

Revy put the phone to her ear and before she could even say anything, her eyes welled up, "Rock!"

Revy's smile was unwavering as she continued, "Are you alright, are the kids…?"

She choked out tears of joy and at a loss for anything else in the way of a proper response spoke again, "I bought diapers."

"Are you…" Her face fell flat, "…no…no don't…Rock I…"

She broke down entirely as the line went dead.

Eda's heart broke for her, "I can't believe it."

"Can't believe what?" Revy asked as she quickly collected herself.

"I never thought I'd see you like this."

Now growing angered, her tears ceased altogether, "Well congratu-fuckin'-lations. Your boys couldn't even let me tell him I love him?"

"In just a few days you'll tell him yourself," Eda replied confidently.

"Fuck you. Fuck you, fuck your fucking bosses, you can all go fuck yourselves. When we're done in Roanapur, you better pray to that fuckin' God of yours that I never see your fuckin' face again!" Revy barked before turning back to the window.

"_Well that's more like it." _Eda thought as she rolled her eyes.

-

"Dutch!" Boss Chang called as he exited the gate in Bangkok International.

The boss of the Lagoon Company approached his old business associate and they exchanged a firm shake, "How've you been Chang my man?"

"Oh you know, same shit different day." Chang replied without missing a beat, "It's funny, when we were living in Roanapur I spent most of my time trying to keep the Triad's relations with Hotel Moscow peaceful."

"And now?" Dutch asked as they walked towards the terminal exit.

"I pretty much do the exact same thing. Just two days ago we were in Paris discussing a piece of art for the house in Hong Kong. Everything was going great until I said I wanted to put it in the hall. Needless to say, the local police were called in and we had to plead diplomatic immunity in order to be allowed out."

"Balalaika hasn't changed much has she?" Dutch asked with a smile.

"She's the only woman I know who has an army on speed-dial. What can I say; I'm crazy about her," Chang replied.

Dutch and Chang came outside to find Balalaika making arrangements with a limo company. She turned to greet her husband and former business associate, "Hello Dutch."

"Ma'am." Dutch replied with a smile.

"How've you been?" She asked.

"My boat's in disrepair and the economy is in the shithouse, so just about the same as the last time you saw me," Dutch replied.

"Any word from Two-Hands?" Balalaika asked.

"Last I heard Eda was going to New York to get a hold of her and Rock. Board inside says a flight from Stewart is due in any minute. I'm guessing that'll be them."

Almost perfectly on cue, boss Chang eyed Revy and Eda approaching the doors, "Speak of the devils…"

The sliding doors parted and Revy and Eda walked through, Eda once again donning her nun's habit and Revy, her cut off shorts, tank top and holsters.

Blowing Eda's cover would have most certainly ended their deal before it began. Luckily for her, Revy didn't need to contrive her smile to greet these people.

She extended her hand to Dutch, "Good to see you again boss man."

"You too. Where's that husband of yours?" Dutch asked.

"Someone needs to take care of the kids." Revy replied as she pulled away from him.

"Still can't believe my gunslinger's a momma." Dutch replied with a smile.

"Sometimes I can't either. I think I'm getting better at it." Revy replied.

Chang approached Revy and they quickly took each other's hands in a solid shake, "Hey kiddo."

"Sis keepin' you in line?" Revy asked.

"When I can." Balalaika replied with a smile.

Further pleasantries were exchanged before the quintet stepped into the waiting limo and headed off towards Roanapur.

As they crossed the rusted old bridge into Roanapur, Revy looked up to the noose that hung from one of its supports. So much had changed since the last time she gazed upon that slipknot. Crossing that invisible threshold, she opened her lockboxes and loaded her cutlass before slipping them into her holsters.

Within moments, the limo was on Roanapur's main stretch and immediately the deconstruction of Roanapur had become apparent. The air, the smell; it was a different place now. Once a place of controlled chaos, the control was now gone and all that was left were gangs with no codes, no honor and no fear.

The silence that had fallen on the limo was broken by the Kapitan, "These cunts will never know what hit them."

While the sight of a limousine wasn't all that uncommon in the time of Balalaika, Chang and the Lagoon Company, today, such a sight meant money and power; it was a target.

As the limo came to the center of Roanapur, two military jeeps blocked the road and nearly three-dozen men gathered around the limo, all of them armed.

"What the--" The limo driver's mild panic was interrupted when Balalaika drew her Stechkin to the back of his head.

"I would suggest you do nothing other than leave your foot on the brake." She ordered, "No big movements, just sit still and keep your mouth shut."

She turned to face her colleagues, "Homecoming party?"

Revy smiled, "'Bout fuckin' time."

She drew one of her cutlass from her side and racked her 93R against her hip. She slid the sunroof open and just before she could peak her head out Eda grabbed her arm.

Revy turned to her and their eyes locked on one another, "Be careful, you've got a family to go back to."

She smiled slightly, "Relax, it's the mommy thing I'm still getting used to; I've been doing this since I was just a brat."

She stood through the sunroof and with zero hesitation opened fire on the unsuspecting soldiers. Single shots from her cutlass, short automatic bursts from the 93R; within seconds nearly every one of the men that had surrounded them was either dead or dying.

"Mag!" She shouted as she lowered her cutlass into the limo, her finger on the mag release. Eda quickly slipped a fresh magazine into Revy's gun and as she raised the cutlass she clicked the slide lock. Several men emerged from the jeeps and opened fire, which brought Revy to hop from the sunroof and roll down the rear of the car to take cover. A brief pause in the firing meant at least three free seconds while they reloaded. She peaked out assessing their numbers and took out four of them in the process. Again they fired on her and after another round of reloading, she took the shots that ended the gunfight.

Behind her, several more jeeps approached bringing Dutch to call out, "Revy!!"

She turned to see the jeeps and quickly climbed up and into the car.

"Drive," Balalaika ordered with her gun to the driver's head.

Revy once again opened her lockbox revealing a pair of grenades. She eyed up the approaching jeeps and pulled the pins, sure to hold the strikers in place until the right moment. When everything fell into place, she stood through the sunroof and threw both grenades. Her aim was impeccable, one of them landing _in_ a jeep, the other intentionally short tossed into their path.

Both grenades burst near simultaneously creating a complete mess. The one jeep burst into flames while another had crossed over the other grenade with perfect timing. The explosions bottlenecked the road allowing the limo to escape with minimal fuss.

"Well that was fun," Dutch said as he turned back to face the front of the limo.

"Just like old times, right?" Revy added before turning to face Balalaika, "I'm gonna need ammo sis."

"Not a problem." Balalaika replied.

The limo finally came to a stop just outside the hotel. Balalaika was the first to exit the car, observing the graffiti tainted exterior of the building all in Roanapur once wished they'd never see. Her blood was boiling at the sight of her legacy in such duress.

Boss Chang exited the car a few moments later. He saw his wife in an obviously upset state when his eyes locked on his high-rise across town; the uppermost levels smoldering in flames.

"Well, at least the hotel is still here," He replied with an optimistic tone.

Dutch, Revy and Eda all sprang from the car, Dutch taking charge to some degree, "Let's get the hell inside before any more crazies come for us."

The limo took off as the quintet quickly made way into the hotel, closing, locking and barricading the doors behind them. Inside, the scene wasn't much better. The building looked like it had already been compromised several times. Blood coated nearly every surface, bullet holes covered the walls and shell casings littered the floor.

"Upstairs, let's move," Balalaika ordered as she once again drew her pistol.

"Revy!" Dutch barked.

"Gotcha," She replied, his tone all she needed to know she should take up the lead beside the Kapitan.

They came to the closed doors, which led to Balalaika's office and paused. Just as Revy was about to kick in the door, Balalaika twisted the knob sliding the latch open.

They quietly entered the office with their guns raised only to find things in a truly dire state. Somewhat of a triage was set up in Balalaika's office, the centerpiece being Shenhua tending to a wounded and bleeding Boris atop the Kapitan's desk, both of whom looked up to see their former colleagues.

Revy and Balalaika lowered their weapons and Revy called out, "It's clear, come on."

Dutch, Chang and Eda came into the room and all seemed to freeze at the sight. All that was left of Hotel Moscow and the Hong Kong Triad were less than 50 wounded soldiers and suits.

At seeing Boss Chang, Shenhua immediately got to her feet, "Dai-lo…"

"Save it kid…" His tone wasn't entirely displeased as the boss wasn't capable of being angry with her, "…you've got a lot of explaining to do."

"As do you comrade Sergeant." While Chang's words were laced with forgiveness, Boris was lucky to be alive after Balalaika addressed him.


	4. Chapter 4

Shenhua and Boris began to explain the situation; that the Libyans came in numbers they were incapable of dealing with.

"Why didn't you contact me?" Balalaika asked of her once second in command as she clipped a cigar, "This all could have been avoided but now, the empire we've built has been irreparably tainted."

"We didn't want to be forced to reliant on you." Boris replied from the desk, "Matters of territory are not easily dealt with and the numbers they came in…"

"…We had no choice." Shenhua finished.

"I'm sorry, but did it sound as though I had any interest in hearing your voice?" Balalaika asked.

"C'mon now, take it easy," Chang asked cautiously of his wife.

Balalaika chuckled slightly, "Do you remember what almost happened to you the last time you told me to take it easy?"

"Unfortunately," Chang replied before turning to Shenhua, "Sorry sweetie, I like my balls right where they are."

Chang raised his hand to his wife and she continued, "I could care less about this little alliance the two of you have formed. With all due respect to my less qualified half…"

"Hey!" Chang interjected as Balalaika continued right over him, "…once we've cleaned up this little mess the two of you have gotten yourselves into, the Hong Kong Triad has no business in _my_ hotel. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes Kapitan," Boris replied.

"Well now that we've got that out of the way," Dutch began as he lit a cigarette, "Any ideas as to just how the fuck we're going to clean this place up?"

"Seriously." Revy replied.

Balalaika turned to Revy somewhat dissatisfied with the gunslingers tone, "Why don't you go hook us a fish?"

Revy lit a cigarette and inhaled a mouthful of smoke. She knew what such a task entailed and to say it didn't make her happy would have been a dramatic understatement. Still, the sooner they got what they needed, the sooner they could all go home, "Why not?"

Revy turned and left the room and Balalaika addressed her former second in command, "Two-Hands will bring us a fish. From him, we'll gather the intel we need to find and eliminate whoever is running their operation."

"And if he tell us nothing?" Shenhua asked.

Balalaika turned to her and smiled, "Than we kill him and find another; simple."

"Kapitan, do you--"

Balalaika cut him off, "Of course. Once we have what we need, this mess will take less than a day to rectify."

"Kapitan--"

Again she cut him off, "Don't…"

Finally she eased her tone, "…this is an unfortunate matter, but one that can be easily solved with a healthy dose of violence."

-

Revy walked out onto Roanapur's main stretch. She looked down to her wedding ring feeling tremendous guilt for what she was about to do. While entrancing a man was never a problem for her, she was Rock's girl. Wherever he was, he was definitely thinking about her, hoping that she was OK. That she'd have to allow another man to place his hands on her in order to get what they needed felt horribly wrong to her.

She stepped into the Yellow Flag and was relieved to see that some things never did change. Bao was still half asleep behind the bar, fights in all four corners, and just as she needed; Libyans.

She slipped her wedding ring into her pocket, walked up to the bar and knocked Bao's arm out from under his head, "Who the fuc…"

He looked up to see Revy wearing quite a smile at seeing her old friend. He smiled as much as he was capable of and shouted, "Revy!"

He reached across the bar and they exchanged a brief hug, "Hey Bao."

"What're you doin' here Revy? I thought you were all done here?" Bao asked.

"So did I," She sat at the bar and Bao proceeded to pour her usual, "I need a room."

Bao had been a part of this sort of game dozens of times. He knew exactly what she needed the room for and as he eyed up a group of Libyans approaching the bar, he commented quietly as he nonchalantly wiped down the bar, "Looks like you're up."

Revy casually raised her glass, her eyes focused on mirror behind the wall of liquor; two men beside her, two behind.

The man on her left seemed to be the Casanova of the group and initiated conversation, "Hey cutie. It's a real shame seeing such a fine lookin' woman such as yourself all alone over here. I don't suppose you'd be looking for some company?"

It took all of her strength to not reenact the scene that occurred the last time someone was foolish enough to assume her an easy screw. The fact that these men were a part of the group responsible for destroying the place she called home for much of her life only made her that much more enraged.

"As a matter of fact…" She chugged her Bacardi down and slammed the glass onto the bar, "…I could use a shoulder to cry on."

"Awe, poor baby…" As he ran his finger down Revy's face, she struggled to maintain calm. One thing was for sure, when Balalaika was done with him, she would absolutely be on the dealing end of his death, "Hey bartender, you got any rooms in this place?"

Bao retrieved a key from under the bar, "Upstairs, first room on the right; 50 bucks for a half-hour."

"Yes sir," The man happily replied as he slammed down a wad of money on the bar; and he thought he'd just scored the deal of a lifetime.

He and Revy stood from the bar, his arm wrapping her shoulders, his touch like acid to her skin, "Be back in a few, boys."

Revy and her "fish" proceeded upstairs to the room Bao had "lent" them. When they entered the man wasted no time trying to force himself on her. He pushed her to the bed and within seconds he was on top of her in a determined effort to use her like the whore he believed her to be. It only took those seconds for her to slip a short knife from her boot and lodge it in the man's back, her hands wrapping his mouth as he attempted to scream.

He reached for the knife in panic and Revy seized the opportunity to put him down. She slammed her fist into his throat and kicked him off of her. She raced behind him and wrapped his neck with her arms. Quickly losing his struggle, he fell unconscious in a matter of moments. Using supplies Bao left in this particular room just for this type of occasion, Revy thoroughly bound him and slipped from the room, sure to lock the door behind her.

She tore a piece of her shirt and while she typically had to force herself to cry in this type of situation, she had no problem wrangling tears of regret for agreeing to be the bait in the first place. She ran down the stairs and through the bar, her charade in full-effect as the men who had arrived with the man she had bound followed after her.

As she ran down a desolate alley with the three men in pursuit, her tears had ceased completely and she turned and drew her cutlass. Three bullets spent, she continued to the Hotel, desperate for a shower.

-

An hour later and with the assistance of some members of the Triad, Dutch brought Revy's "fish" to the hotel. They had tied him to a chair and Balalaika wasted no time waking him up via a bucket of ice water.

The man woke with a scream, the pain of his knife wound front and center as the position he was tied in twisted the wound into a stream of constant pain. His eyes quickly focused on Revy who had propped herself up against a wall with a cigarette hanging from her lips.

"You fuckin' bitch, what the fuck is this?!" He barked.

"This I'm afraid is the end of the line," Balalaika replied as she held her cigar a few inches from her lips, "Today you're going to die. How long it takes is entirely up to you."

"Go fuck yourself you fuckin' Ruskie bitch! You'll get nothing from me!" He shouted.

She leaned down to his level and calmly addressed him, "Such a pity. I've sat a great many people in that chair and every last one of them thought they were strong enough to let their knowledge die with them. None of them made it past the half-hour mark, so…"

She nodded her head to Shenhua who quietly approached with her blades at her sides, "…let's see how long you can hold out for."

Shenhua carefully raised one of her blades and with a surgical delicacy, slipped just the tip of one of them into his thigh. Slowly she twisted the blade causing his screams to grow in both volume and intensity. As she sunk the blade deeper into his flesh, she began twisting the other into him as well.

Eda entered the room a moment later and stood beside Revy.

"Where the fuck were you?" Revy asked over the man's screams.

"Cleaning up what's left of the church." Eda replied.

Revy smiled slightly, "How is Yolanda these days? Is that even her real name or--"

Eda cut her off, "She's dead Revy."

"What?!" Revy asked.

"I said what's _left_ of the church. These fuckin' bastards took the place down to the foundation. When Rico and I found her, she was shot dead execution style, still in her habit." Eda replied.

Revy was instantly overcome with guilt as she replied, "I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what? She was just like me, just another fuckin' traitor; remember?"

"Go fuck yourself; you know I never wanted this to happen," Revy replied.

Eda stopped for a moment and collected her thoughts. Struggling to keep a perspective on what exactly brought them to this crossing. While the loss of Yolanda weighed heavily on her, she remembered that the people she worked for were holding Revy's family hostage from her.

Eda's head sank as she replied, "Yeah I know. I just--"

Revy cut her off, "I get it alright, don't get all fuckin' mushy on me. It's fine."

Shenhua had finished with the man and per Balalaika's request Dutch had begun to pummel him. The bound Libyan was now covered in blood and shouted through his screams, "STOP!! Please fuckin' stop!! I'll tell you anything!!"

"15 minutes." Balalaika replied as she checked her watch, "You disappoint me. I really thought you'd have made it longer than this."

"Just fuckin' kill me you bitch." He begged.

"Soon enough." Balalaika replied coldly.


	5. Chapter 5

Revy's "fish" passed along all the information Balalaika asked for with no hesitation and as promised, his death would come promptly.

"Two-Hands?" Balalaika asked.

Revy wasted no time drawing her cutlass to his forehead, the thought of his hands on her, of his body atop hers; she clicked the hammer back and asked, "Anything else?"

Just as he opened his mouth to reply, she squeezed off two rounds leaving two holes where his eyes once were.

Silence fell on the room at Revy's brutal use of firepower. She turned to face her colleagues, all but Balalaika wearing their fear on their faces.

"What the fuck are we waiting for?" She turned to Balalaika, "Rally the troops sis."

While Balalaika took orders from no one, she admired Revy's determination as she replied with a smile, "Indeed."

-

Night fell and the mobilization began. Several unmarked vans had slowly dredged their way into Roanapur over the course of the day, each carrying multiple soldiers and countless armaments.

The vans collected within a mile radius of the hotel as to not raise suspicions and slowly but surely, the Visotoniki had once again gathered under the Kapitan.

"While the circumstances of this reunion are unfortunate, the impending chaos does make me quite nostalgic," Balalaika remarked to a room full of soldiers.

Dutch, Revy and Eda stood among Balalaika's soldiers, armed to the teeth. Eda fueled by vengeance, Revy by her desire to get back to Rock and her children, and Dutch simply looking for a return to the good old days.

"Comrades…" Balalaika smiled slightly, "…we go to war."

The room began to cheer loudly as the group's front-runners led the way out. The group continued out onto Roanapur's streets quickly filtering into multiple vans around the hotel. Within minutes, the convoy was in motion and most certainly garnering the attention of lookouts along the way.

Half-way to their destination and the first wave of jeeps approached; first two, than five, than ten.

As they watched the situation unfold in the lead van, Balalaika shouted, "Two-Hands!"

"On it," Revy replied.

She slid the door open, an RPG launcher tight to her shoulder. She lined up her shot for maximum destruction and fired off the RPG. She exchanged her empty for another prepared RPG launcher from Dutch and leaned back out the door. Again she lined up her shot and fired off the next RPG.

As they approached the decimated jeeps, Revy passed the spent launcher to Dutch and retrieved both cutlass. She scanned the mayhem for survivors and fired an occasional shot.

Another wave of jeeps began to follow them and this time it would be Eda to take up gunning duties. She racked an Uzi and hung out the door, taking aim behind them.

Burst upon burst of full-auto slowly picked off each of the encroaching jeeps till they were once again being charged head on by another jeep.

"Eda!" Revy shouted.

The two switched positions and Revy took aim with her M79, waiting till just the right moment to fire off a shell. Unfortunately, the Libyans began firing early and a bullet tore through Revy's right arm just before she could fire.

Her scream was quickly followed by Dutch, Eda, and Chang in unison, "Revy!!"

"Fuck!" She shouted as she attempted to keep calm. Her arm wavered slightly as she raised the M79 and fired off a shell decimating the jeep that had gotten a shot at her.

"You alright?" Eda asked as Revy slammed the door shut and retreated to the seat.

"I'll be fuckin' fine…" Here it came, "…FUCK THIS HURTS!!! Out of the game for 9 months and I already forgot how fuckin' much it hurts to get fuckin' shot!"

Dutch quickly dressed the wound, a suggestion coming before he tied it off, "Deep breath."

She did as she was told; wincing only slightly as Dutch pulled the bandage tight.

Eda got closer to Revy and quietly asked, "Are you alright?"

Revy had been involved in countless gunfights. She'd been shot more times than she could remember and stared death in the face countless times, yet for some reason, as she sat there, she felt horrible fear for her life.

"Revy!" Eda shouted.

"If I don't make it out of this, tell Rock--"

Eda slapped her across the face quickly bringing her back to reality, "Shut the fuck up. You'll tell him yourself."

In a moment of clarity, Revy conveyed her thoughts eloquently, "When we're done here, I never want to see your face again."

The mobile assault that had been coming down on them ceased as they approached the Libyan bases. The bases themselves were akin to indoor encampments at several of the warehouses at the far end of the docks. They'd all seen and passed the facilities numerous times throughout their time in Roanapur, never knowing what might come of them.

Revy rotated her arm making sure her injury wouldn't affect her performance, "How're we doing this sis?" she asked as the vans slowed.

Balalaika began to explain the plan, "We're to understand many of the soldiers are stationed in the first two buildings. Team 2 will lead the way into the first building; the five of us are behind them. Teams 3 and 4 are to begin at building 2; the primary stronghold. Building 3 is their storage facility as well as the location of their head of operations. Once the first two are decimated, we'll convene at the final building."

"Can we trust what that guy told us? He could be sending us right into a trap," Dutch replied.

"Torture does wonderful things for honesty Dutch. That and these people have only learned what we're up to in these past ten minutes. By now I'm sure they're scattered about like ants in there. When we're done with them, they'll have no clue what hit them," Balalaika replied as she racked her Stechkin.

Chang picked up a walkie-talkie and clicked the receiver on, "Team 1 in position. Team 2, it's your show."

15 of Balalaika's soldiers passed their van and lined up alongside the entrance to the first warehouse. One of the soldiers slipped along the wall and placed a small amount of explosive on the door.

"_On your mark Kapitan,"_ A soldier's voice spoke over the walkie-talkie.

"Let it begin." Balalaika replied.

One of the soldiers detonated the explosive and they quickly funneled into the warehouse. The gunfire began immediately, the sound of the AK-74s echoing in the night air.

"Ready?" Balalaika asked her team.

"Think we're all sick'a waitin'," Dutch replied as he cocked his shotgun

The group poured from the van and ran towards the gunfight.

"Just like old times right?" Eda asked.

Revy didn't reply, but her smile told of her excitement, being at the heart of a war.

They entered and were quickly taken back the numbers. The warehouse was filled with nothing but bunk beds and a small weapons cache. These men were simply muscle, barely even henchman. As she added to the kill count, Revy's eyes began to well.

As she took shots that took lives, she observed several of Balalaika's soldiers as they laid waste to entire groups in waves of automatic fire. There was a stack of bodies before the ammo cache and the men they were killing were only lightly armed. The higher-ups only had a few moments warning of what was coming, but they had warning nonetheless. They hadn't even the decency to unlock this buildings weapons storage and arm their own men. Even though a part of her felt pity on the lives she took, she was in the middle of a gunfight and knew that if she let up even for a second, they wouldn't hesitate to put her down.

"Now this is more like it!" Chang shouted with guns in each hand.

Balalaika's Stechkin let off occasional rapid-fire bursts as she replied, "Who needs a country club when you've got a 9mm?"

Revy couldn't help but notice Eda. No one else paid her any attention but she was practically a surgeon with her Glock and those whom were too close to shoot, she disabled with proficient close-range combat.

Within a few minutes, the building was silent. Piles of bodies the likes of which Revy had never seen littered the room.

As she observed the obliteration in their wake, Revy remarked, "This pisses me the fuck off."

"Oh?" Balalaika asked.

"The big boys have known for about 10 minutes that something was coming and they just left'em here to fucking die," Revy replied.

"We're dealing with utter trash. I can't wait to meet the man who calls himself their leader. He ought to be most amusing in his last moments," Balalaika replied.

"One down two to go. Shall we?" Dutch asked as he finished reloading his shotgun.

Chang lit a cigarette and extended his hand, offering Dutch to lead the way. As they walked to the rear of the building the next round of gunfire began at the next warehouse over.

-

Rock sat beside his sleeping children in a makeshift nursery within the building they were being held. Rico had remained in the room with him the entire time he had been there. While he was angry at the situation, Rock was his usual calm self. It had been a day since he'd seen his wife and knowing she was involved in what was undoubtedly a full-blown war, he was terrified for her.

Rico checked the clock and quietly broke the silence in the room, "They've started."

"I know." Rock replied, "I thought after all these years I'd learn to not worry about her."

"Every time Eda goes out on--"

Rock cut him off, "Wait, you and sister Eda?"

"No nothing like that. She's been my partner for three years. You spend that much time with someone and attachment is unavoidable."

Rock smiled bringing Rico to ask, "What?"

"Just…" He chuckled, "…your voice, your speech; everything I thought I knew about you was a lie."

"Rock I--"

Again Rock cut him off, "I don't particularly care that you were lying to us; I'm just amazed by how fooled we all were. Sort of makes you wonder if the people you love really are who you think they are."

"You're worried about Rebecca?" Rico asked.

"She just gave birth to two of my children. I think that goes beyond even CIA protocol." Rock replied with a smile, "I guess I'm just thinking out loud to pass the time."

Rock looked up at the clock, a mere five minutes having passed.

'_Please be careful Revy.'_ Rock thought as he observed their children.

-

Unlike the previous encounter, the following building was significantly armed. Regardless, over thirty of Balalaika's soldiers had started the party early and when the group arrived, half of the men were already dead.

Several minutes in, Revy grew bored with her cutlass and wasn't quite satisfied with the slow results. She took cover and holstered her cutlass before drawing her M79.

Eda looked over to her from behind a stack of boxes and shouted, "You're kidding."

"This is takin' too fuckin' long." Revy replied as she stood and took aim.

"DOWN!!" Eda shouted.

Balalaika, Chang, and Dutch ducked as Revy fired off a shell knocking back several men all at once. While the motion about the room slowed from the blast, Revy reloaded another shell and fired once again.

When the smoke from the three following blasts cleared, Revy broke the silence that had fallen on the room, "Clear."

She turned to face her colleagues who were all still taking cover from the blast, "You fuckin' coming or not?"


	6. Chapter 6

A man watched on a monitor as the group finished up in the second warehouse.

"Can you tell me how the fuck this happened?!" He shouted to his three associates, "Of course you can't, the three of you are fuckin' useless."

He pushed the three men off and finished his thought, "Go on, get the fuck out there and get those fuckin' guns turning!"

The man pulled an automatic rifle from the wall and clumsily began to load it.

-

Revy locked the breach of her M79 as she waited for Balalaika's signal. Again the doors were rigged with explosive and with the push of a button, the Kapitan gave her signal.

A 20 soldier strong wave of Visotoniki dove into the arena through the front doors while the rest of the group remained outside. While they expected to hear the familiar sound of AK-74s, a slight whir filled the air.

"Fuck…" Revy and Dutch commented simultaneously of the sound.

Bullets began to fly at surreally high-speeds, instantly shredding the 20 soldiers who had gone in first. The guns wound down a second later and the firing had ceased.

"Those are fuckin' mini-guns." Dutch shouted.

"Two-Hands!" Balalaika barked of the only person carrying a grenade launcher.

Revy grumbled as she lit a cigarette, "I'm on it."

She peeked around the corner of the door first observing the carnage the guns had created. She scanned the room further to locate the three men, each behind tripod mounted mini-guns.

She turned back to the group, "There are three of'em on catwalks. When I get one of'em, the other two are just gonna start firing and these walls aren't going to protect you guys."

"Revy--"

She cut Dutch off, "I'll be fine bossman. You guys back up, I'll deal with this."

"Revy this is fucking stupid, you're going to get yourself--"

Revy aimed the loaded M79 directly at Eda's face quickly silencing her.

"I've about had it with you for one day bitch, now back the fuck off." Revy replied quietly.

The group backed off and Revy knelt down and peeked around the corner. She placed a spare shell on the ground beside her and took a cutlass into her left hand. Observing the room one last time before opening fire, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

She leaned around the corner and squeezed off the shell; a direct hit. The two remaining guns spun up and she quickly took aim with her cutlass. In half a heartbeat, she fired off a single round blowing a hole through one of the gunner's legs and in turn sending him and his heavy weapon over the railing.

As she'd hoped, the last man she had taken out paused the other guns spin up as the last gunner observed his colleague. While she intended to take her last shot with the M79 she simply locked on the last gunner and took one more shot, this time landing in the side of his head.

Revy knelt silent and motionless for a moment; waiting for something or someone else to appear. After a few moments she waved everyone back.

"Dutch, take the nun and go back for stragglers." Balalaika ordered, "We'll take good care of the man in charge."

"Yes ma'am." Dutch replied with a smile as he pumped a round into his shotgun.

Eda turned to addressed them all, though her words were meant especially for Revy, "Be careful."

The groups parted ways and Balalaika, Chang and Revy slowly wormed their way through the building, knocking in doors and taking out the occasional soldier as required.

Finally, they came to a room in the upper corner of the warehouse. They quietly collected by the door and Balalaika motioned for Revy to lead the way. She raised her cutlass, her fingertips anxiously tapping at the grips as she moved in front of the door. She took a deep breath and kicked the door in.

As the door crashed to the ground, a burst of rapid fire broke the silence, followed by a shriek from Revy.

"Rebecca!" Chang shouted as he watched his protégé fall to the ground.

Just as the leader of the Libyan mob stood from behind his desk, Balalaika wrapped the corner and bottomed out the trigger of her Stechkin. The man was dead in seconds bringing about a bit of a sigh from the Kapitan, "Well that was nowhere as fun as I'd hoped it would be."

Chang quickly rushed to Revy's aid. She'd been hit several times in both legs. He saw she was alive, squirming about on the ground in pain, "Just hang on."

"Please tell me you shot that motherfucker." Revy groaned.

"It's done," Balalaika replied as Chang collected Revy into his arms.

A few tense moments later, Chang, Revy and Balalaika emerged from the warehouse to a waiting group of soldiers and Dutch and Eda. While both Dutch and Eda were panicked at seeing Revy covered in blood, it would be Eda who shouted first, "What the fuck happened?"

"Their head guy was hiding and sprayed her with an auto." Chang replied, "The wounds don't appear to be lethal but…"

His silence was all any of them needed to know they had to hurry.

Eda knew what she had to do, "I know where we can take her. C'mon, I'll drive."

Chang carried Revy to the van; Dutch in tow as Balalaika bid a quick farewell to her comrades.

-

"You are aware this is a military hospital, right?" Chang asked.

"Yeah, you noticed huh?" Eda replied.

"How the fuck do you intend to get past security?" Dutch asked as they pulled up to the gate.

Eda lowered the window and handed the guard a badge as she addressed him, "One wounded; multiple gunshots."

The guard handed her badge back to her and waved her on. Dutch, Chang and Balalaika were silent for seconds before Dutch's curiosity overtook him, "Who the fuck are you?"

"I'm the girl who's going to make sure Revy lives. We can discuss who else I am after she's through this," Eda replied quietly, her attention remaining on the road in front of her.

-

Two hours had passed as Chang, Balalaika, and Dutch waited in the lobby of the hospital. Eda walked into the room to a sea of anxious faces.

"Well?" Chang asked.

"She's going to be fine. No arteries were hit but she has significant muscle damage. She won't be able to walk for at least a year," Eda replied.

"And you call that fucking fine?!" Dutch barked.

"Would you rather she never walk again, or perhaps you wouldn't mind her dead altogether?" Eda asked, ceasing his anger entirely.

"Who are you?" Chang asked, Balalaika at his side and most interested in her answer.

"Come tomorrow, I'm a ghost." Eda replied, "You'll never see me again and if I'm lucky, I'll never see any of you again; my job's been reassigned."

Her explanation couldn't have been any simpler. Each of them knew exactly what she was saying and were astonished to silence at how she had fooled all of them.

While Balalaika was furious at Eda's deception, she couldn't help but smile, "That you were able to keep us fooled for all these years; I might be so inclined to offer you a job."

Eda smiled, "Thanks, but no thanks. I've had more than my fill of Roanapur these past 8 years."

"So what about us? We're covered in blood, just took part in the killing of a small army and here we are in a military hospital," Chang replied.

"Innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire of a gang war in Bangkok." Eda replied with a smile, "No need to thank me."

A doctor joined them and informed the group, "She's awake."

"Excuse me." Eda said quietly as she followed the doctor.

As Eda observed Revy from the hall, she couldn't help but remember the circumstances by which she had last seen her like this. She knocked on the door bringing Revy's eyes to open and let herself in.

"How're you feeling?" Eda asked.

"Doc says I won't walk for a year," Revy replied quietly with tears in her eyes, "Other than that I'm fine."

"I never meant--"

Revy cut her off. "Meant for what; for me to get shot? Your fucking bosses knew what we were getting into; you don't think maybe they weren't counting on something like this happening? The next time your fucking employers decide they want my help, tell'em the answer's 'Go fuck yourself'."

"They--"

Again Revy cut her off. "Fuck them. They know who I am, right? They know the people I've been associating with these past 8 years. If they have half a brain in their fuckin' heads, they'll never call on me to do their dirty work ever again, understand?"

Eda simply turned and headed to the door. When she reached the doorway, she stopped and spoke, "In a few hours, the doctors are going to come and check you over once more. If everything looks good, you'll be on your way home by morning."

While her contempt was unending, the part of her that Rock seemed to bring out more and more throughout their time together felt guilty. She knew this was no one's fault but those who forced her into this situation. Alas, Eda was gone before Revy ever could have gotten the chance or courage to offer any modicum of an apology.

Eda walked through the lobby, past her former colleagues without another word. Her strides unwavering as she walked through the sliding doors, and just like that, she was gone.

Almost as though nothing had happened, Balalaika broke the silence, "So Dutch, can we give you a lift back to Roanapur?"

"Thanks but I think I'll wait for Revy; make sure they take good care of her and whatnot," Dutch replied.

"Very well." She and Chang stood from their seats and she finished her thought, "It was good to see you again Dutch. We'll have to do this again someday."

"Maybe next time we'll leave the guns home," Dutch joked.

"Wouldn't be much of a party without any guns now would it?" Chang replied with a smile.

"Take care you two," Dutch replied as Chang and Balalaika proceeded outside.

-

A few hours later, Dutch was at Revy's bedside laughing as they reminisced about times past.

"We miss you and Benny. Something about our crew; 'The Lagoon Company'…" Revy smiled, "…we had some fun didn't we?"

"That we did," Dutch replied.

A doctor knocked on the door and addressed Revy with a smile, "Your tests look good. You'll be out of here in just a few minutes."

"Thanks doc," Dutch replied for his former gunslinger.

"A nurse will be in with a fresh set of clothes and your belongings in a few minutes. She'll help you get dressed…"

The though of being an invalid, being incapable of walking or dressing herself, Revy quickly felt a great deal less guilt for being so angry with Eda.

"…and we'll get you a wheelchair for you to use in the airport," The doctor finished before slipping around the corner before Revy could chastise him; Eda must have told him about her temper.

"Are you gonna be alright?" Dutch asked as he prepared to bid her farewell.

"I just want to go home," Revy replied.

"Ready?" Eda asked from the doorway holding a folded pair of pants, and a T-shirt. Revy's holsters were draped over her shoulder and her cutlass sat atop the clothes.

"Eda…" Revy replied with a hint of relief in her tone. Dutch would have been blind if he hadn't seen just a hint of a smile on both of their faces. Of course, Revy would always be Revy, "…it's about fuckin' time bitch! Don't try to cop a fuckin' feel while I'm getting dressed!"


	7. Chapter 7

Eda wheeled a now handicapped Revy through Bangkok International. She sat with her elbow perched on the arm of the wheelchair, her head resting on her knuckles. Not being able to get up and walk, it again reminded her how angry she was. It took all of her strength to not unleash her rage on Eda, at least not entirely.

"For fuck's sake, could you move any fuckin' slower?!"

Eda rolled her eyes as she replied, "Calm down, we're almost at the gate."

They remained silent until boarding the plane and even an hour into the flight hadn't spoken another word to each other. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Revy broke the silence, though didn't turn away from the window, "Do you think he'll still love me?"

"What?" Eda asked.

"Rock. Do you think he'll still love me even though I can't--" Eda pushed Revy's head into the glass interrupting her.

"GRRRR…What the fuck Eda!"

"Will he still love you?! Are you fucking kidding me?!" Eda asked, "Rock cares for you more than anything. Fuck if anyone can figure out why. You're a high maintenance, twenty-four-seven pain in the fucking ass, and Rock would go through hell and back for you without a thought. Will he still love you? Do me a favor and go the fuck to sleep would you?"

Revy smiled slightly before closing her eyes and laying her head back on her seat; immediately she thought of Rock. How he had once treated her to a most luxurious plane ride in first class. The coach seats Eda and her fine employers provided her with was nowhere near as comfortable. Sure the painkillers the doctors had given her helped; still, she just couldn't seem to get comfortable.

Eda's phone rang breaking the silence as she answered, "Yes."

Revy didn't even blink as the phone rang but when Eda once again tapped her on the head with the phone; she quickly opened her eyes fully prepared to begin screaming.

Eda handed her the phone and as had happened on the flight to Thailand, Rock was on the other end.

Her eyes instantly filled with tears as she spoke, "Rock?!"

Eda again found herself astonished at how different Revy was when she spoke to Rock. No animosity, no exercise of authority, nothing but kind words for the man she'd never admit she loved so much.

"I miss you." Unable to hold back her tears any longer, she replied one last time, "You too."

She handed the phone back to Eda. Once Revy had collected herself, Eda made sure to dig into her a little once more, "Yeah, that guy doesn't give a half'a shit about you."

"Go fuck yourself." Revy choked out in reply bringing Eda simply to smile.

-

18 hours later, Revy and Eda were on their way to Rock and Revy's home. After Revy and Rock hung up, Revy soon fell asleep and since they'd landed, they hadn't spoken another word to each other.

The car came to a halt in front of Rock and Revy's home and Revy wasted no time barking at Eda, "C'mon! Get me the fuck outta this car!"

Eda rolled her eyes, though her guilt over Revy's condition brought her to promptly do as she was told.

As Revy got into the wheelchair, they looked at the three steps that led to the front door and near simultaneously both had the same thought, "Fuck."

"Well how the fuck am I gonna deal with this shit?" Revy asked.

"I'll see about getting someone to build you a ramp on Uncle Sam's tab." Eda replied before shouting, "Hey Rock!!"

Within a few moments, Rock appeared at the front door; his excitement to see his wife again marred only by the sight of her in a wheelchair. Her legs were wrapped from sole to thigh in thick cotton bandages and in mere seconds, he experienced a lifetime's worth of emotion. Sadness, regret, anger, hatred; his fists tightly clenched as his focus shifted from Revy to Eda. He collected himself and rushed to his wife. His hands delicately cupped her face as he brought their lips to meet. A good three feet away and _Eda_ was left breathless at that kiss. Rock carefully wrapped his arms around Revy and immediately they both began to cry tears of happiness.

"I missed you," Revy said through her tears.

"I missed you too," Rock replied, much more collected than his wife.

Again Eda found herself at a loss. She had never imagined Revy to be capable of being so broken over something she would have assumed so trivial for the gunslinger. Eda and Rock helped her from the chair and carried Revy up the stairs and into their house. They sat her on the couch, and Rock quickly left the room.

"Where are you going?" Revy asked, but before he could even answer, he returned with their children, one in each arm.

Eda's hand reached to cover her smile as Rock approached with the children. He sat beside his wife and instinctually she extended her arms for Rock to pass them onto her.

"I gave them names them while you were away," Rock said quietly.

"Who am I looking at?" She asked.

"Their birth certificates will say Sue-lin, and Tamasine; Sue and Tommy for short." Rock replied.

"They're beautiful," Eda said with a warm smile on her lips.

"Thanks," Revy replied. Her joy at being reunited with her family made her incapable of displaying anything but a smile on her face; a smile that made her following comment all the more disturbing, "If you or the people you work for ever come after them, Rock or me again, I swear on my children that I will kill you, and those who sent you."

Eda's smile fell flat and Revy finished her thought, "I appreciate you saving my life in Roanapur. We've been through a lot together you and I, but I don't want to see your face ever again."

Eda smiled slightly as she replied this last time, "You won't."

Just like that, the gun-toting, would-be nun from Roanapur was gone. Rock and Revy remained lost in their moment of joy for what seemed like an eternity. Finally Rock broke their cries and laughs, repeating his comment from several days earlier, "We have a lot of work to do you know."

"You think I'm going to be good at this mommy thing?" Revy asked as her tears slowed.

Rock chuckled lightly before replying with a warm smile, "I _know_ you're gonna be great."

-

By 9:00pm that night, things had largely returned to normal in the Okajima household. Rock had moved several pieces of furniture in order to accommodate Revy's wheelchair, while she kept an eye on the children. While she wasn't the greatest at the mother routine of cooing out comforting sounds, her gaze and watch over them was absolute and unwavering.

"Thank you," Rock said as he hung up the phone. He turned to Revy and merely observed her as she watched over their children. He couldn't help but be amused by her. The way she looked at them, watching them much in the same way she watched her targets. The slightest movement or shift of either of the infants was accompanied by an immediate and rapid change in her vigil.

"I asked for an appointment no earlier than Wednesday, I figured you'd want a couple days to rest up," Rock said with a smile.

Her eyes didn't shift in the least as she replied warmly, "Thanks."

She let out a wide yawn, though her eyes didn't falter. Still, Rock knew she was losing out to her body's need for sleep, "C'mon, let's get you upstairs and into bed."

Her eyes widened as she looked up to him, "What about…"

Rock smiled and chuckled slightly, "They're actually pretty easy to take care of. Right now, it's you I'm worried about."

As he helped her from her chair, she groaned slightly as she attempted to put even the lightest of weight on her legs, "Ah…"

She fell back into her chair, her hands rushing to her dressings as she quietly continued, "…fuck."

"I don't know how…" Before she could finish her thought, Rock scooped her out of her chair and into his arms like a groom on his wedding night, "…whoa!"

"I've got you," Rock said with a smile which Revy returned.

The two stared into each other's eyes for just a moment. They slowly leaned towards one another and almost perfectly on cue; the twins awoke and began to cry.

They laughed as their heads bumped together. He carefully lowered Revy back into her chair before picking up the twins.

"Let me bring them upstairs, I'll be back for you in just a minute," Rock said, no longer needing to keep his voice down.

Revy nodded as tears once again formed in her eyes. Rock hastily made his way upstairs and she looked all around their home; he sight of everything vastly different from three and a half feet. As her mind raced at the thought of dealing with her handicap, Rock soon appeared as he'd promised.

She wiped the tears from her eyes, though Rock would have been blind not to see wasn't on the brink of tears.

"Are you alright?" He asked as he knelt before her.

She shook her head side-to-side as she replied, "I don't know if I'm gonna be able to do this Rock."

She nodded as he held her and he continued, "Nothing's changed Revy. I love you every bit as much now as I did the day I first met you. I'll still take you any way I can get you."

-

Four hours later, Revy was lightly tossing about in bed. Her painkillers were wearing off and the pain in her legs was killing her. She struggled so hard to keep as still as she could, to not wake Rock. Finally her pain overtook her and she swatted at Rock.

He instantly awoke and asked as he looked around in panic, "What?! What's wrong?!"

Now in pain that prevented her from even forming complete sentences, she replied, "Legs…painkillers…fuck…"

Rock sprang from the bed and within seconds was back in the room with a glass of water and a pair of pills which Revy immediately choked back.

As Rock watched her, he quietly commented, "Mental note; leave the painkillers and a glass of water by the bed."

Revy gasped for air as she chugged back the water, "I fuckin' hate this Rock. I hate feeling fuckin' pain all the time. I hate not being able to fuckin' walk, I hate having to rely on you to take fuckin' care of me."

"It's work I don't mind doing Revy." He had a glimmer of a thought to try and cheer her up, "Oh…whoa is me. What ever will I do; always having to put my hands on my beautiful wife's usually exposed skin."

He leaned over to her as she finally cracked just a hint of a girlish smile, "To help her dress and undress. Yes, truly mine is a painful life to be forced to take care of such a beautiful creature."

She finally lost out to her laughter and Rock gave her a delicate kiss. There was no mistake about it that the road in front of them would be anything but difficult. He'd never quit her no matter how she doubted herself or attempted to push herself away. She wouldn't make it easy on him, but Rock wouldn't dream of having her any other way.


	8. Chapter 8

A month had passed in the Okajima household. With the children now nearly 3 months old, things had calmed down and Rock and Revy had settled into somewhat of a routine. Revy was getting better at accepting her predicament, though on occasion, her temper still flared to terrifying levels at being unable to take even the simplest care of herself.

This quiet Monday morning, Rock was out with the twins on a visit to the pediatrician. Revy wheeled herself into the kitchen and retrieved a sports drink from the refrigerator. She headed outside via the backdoor and set her drink down on the patio table. While they had an exercise room just down the hall from their bedroom, the only time she was ever upstairs was when they slept at night. Rock had brought down some of her weights and since they had a rather large patio, it seemed like the perfect place for her to exercise.

She took the weights into her hands and began to perform all manner of exercises from her chair; the whole time, the thought of her latest doctor's visit replaying in her mind, _"Give it another 8 months and we should be able to get you on crutches and into physical therapy."_

Just one month shy of the length of her pregnancy and she could at least be on her feet again. She was determined to keep her strength up so that when she was ready, she'd be back to 100% as quickly as possible. After an hour of rigorous arm workouts, she wheeled herself back into the house and retrieved the lockbox containing her cutlass before heading back outside.

Their property was a large expanse in the middle of the woods, which meant she could fire off rounds in any direction without any risk of causing trouble. Rock had setup a target for her in the backyard and again in routine, she had exercised her arms, and now she'd exercise her fingers and eyes.

After firing off several magazines worth of rounds, the M92's slide locked back in finality. She pulled the magazine and placed the empty weapon on the patio table. As she reached for her drink, she accidentally knocked it over and off the table. Before it even hit the patio, her eyes slammed shut and her body tensed as she waited for the impact. She looked down; hoping against hope that the bottle would be in easy reach. The top had broken off emptying half of its contents onto the patio and sure enough, it had rolled in front of her.

"Fuck…" She said quietly in what appeared to be boundless disappointment as she engaged the wheel locks on the chair.

She leaned forward, her arms and fingertips over-extended as she reached for the bottle. She could feel the chair begin to shift but continued to reach. Unfortunately, she pushed too far and the chair slid out from under her. Her legs merely deflected beneath her and she just barely caught herself before slamming her face into the concrete. She quickly collected herself; then the pain from her injuries set in. She looked over to her chair, which was now the length of the patio away from her. Frustrated and in pain beyond even wasting her breath on an outburst, she merely rolled onto her back and began to cry.

Luckily, Rock returned home a few moments later. He set the kids down into their cribs and set out to find his wife. When he saw her chair by the patio door, he hastened his pace to find her. As he set foot on the patio, the scene told the story without a word from her. He rushed to her side and asked as he helped her up, "Are you okay?"

Her face was beet red as she choked out her reply, "I fucking hate this Rock. I can't fucking stand this shit anymore!"

He collected her in a hug and calmly spoke to her in an effort to calm her down, "Just hang in there. You're the strongest person I've ever met; you can make it through this, I know you can."

For an hour he held her in his arms. Just as he thought she'd made so much progress, he was right back at square one; struggling to nurse her through what was inarguably the hardest time of her life.

-

Later on that day, Rock took a necessary power nap while Revy kept an eye on the kids. Seeing as how Rock was now doing close to 80% of the work with the kids, _and_ taking care of her, she did what she could to allow him to rest. It was rather easy work, as the children seemed to require a decent amount of rest as well. When Rock was asleep, they were generally asleep; all Revy really needed to do was keep quiet and keep an eye on them.

Being in a wheelchair and unable to do much of anything, she was reduced to couch potato status. She kept the TV volume low and the entertainment moderate; she didn't want to find herself uncontrollably laughing, or being bored to sleep. Wheeling herself through the paths Rock had made for her, she retrieved a water bottle from the kitchen and made way back to the living room. While she had been trying to keep as quiet as possible, an extremity of the chair bumped into a piece of furniture and again she braced for the inevitable crash that was to follow.

A picture frame collapsed to the floor shattering the glass and instantly waking Rock and the children. By the time he was completely awake, Revy was already in tears.

He looked to the children than quickly scanned the room for Revy. When their eyes finally locked, she barked, "Take care of them, I'm fuckin' fine!"

"Revy--"

She cut him off. "Just take care of the kids Rock!"

-

Night fell on Rock and Revy's home. Rock was fast asleep, beat from the long day he'd had. To say he'd become a heavy sleeper since the advent of their children and Revy's injury would have been a dramatic understatement. For the couple hours of sleep he was afforded every night, he slept like a coma patient.

Revy on the other hand was wide-awake as no sleep aids safely mixed with her pain medication. She had spent the last 4 weeks incapable of falling asleep and was left with nothing but silence, and her thoughts. She leaned her head to observe Rock's unconscious form with tears in her eyes. She hated what she'd been reduced to. That she had finally been able to give him children and was now unable to help him take care of them. Her rage rapidly built to the surface but she remained silent.

Revy carefully pulled herself from the bed and into her chair. She wheeled her way to the stairs, engaged the wheel locks and carefully got to the floor. Slowly and painfully she slid down the stairs, her anger fueled further by the second. She quietly retrieved her cutlass and leaned her back up against the wall. She stared at the gun as she held it in her hands, her eyes leaking an endless stream of tears as she gently fed the barrel into her mouth.

Her eyes shut tight as she wrapped her thumbs around the trigger. Just as she'd begun to squeeze, the twins began to cry a surreal wail causing her body to inadvertently ache all over. Her thumbs slipped clear of the trigger and her eyes shattered open.

"Revy!!" Rock called, clearly lost as to where she was.

She could just barely see him run from their room to take care of the twins and immediately she withdrew the gun from her mouth. Again she stared at it before letting her head fall back against the wall as she sobbed. Hearing and feeling the twins, seeing her husband; she hated this part of her life, hated that Rock had to take care of her and that she couldn't take care of the twins. But, they would be there for her when she was better and she _would_ get better.

The twins had quieted down and as Rock made his way down the stairs, he froze as he realized what he was seeing. She looked up at him with an ocean of tears in her eyes and looked back down at the gun.

When she looked back at Rock, his expression of concern was replaced with a look of pure rage, "What are you doing?"

"I'm sorry," She quietly replied.

He crept over to her knowing full well that this could end very badly if he pushed the wrong button.

"Revy--"

She cut him off. "No…" deep breaths, "…just let me get this out, alright?"

Rock nodded and she continued, "You were doing most of the work with the kids in the first place and now, you're taking care of me too. I didn't want to burden you or them anymore."

"So you were going to help me by eating a fucking bullet?" Rock asked calmly.

"You could always find someone else Rock. Someone who could--"

Dumbfounded by her ridiculous logic he immediately lost his temper, "I don't want someone else Revy! I want to have this with you!"

"With me?!" If he was going to scream there was no reason she shouldn't as well, "The woman who's fucking ass you have to wipe?! The woman you can't even fuck because she can't move her fucking legs?! I'm a fucking stub Rock; dead fucking weight with nice tits."

"Is that what you think you are?!" Rock lost it as his tears ran free, "You're everything to me Revy! I wake up every day to see you and our kids! In sickness and in health, remember?! I don't fucking care that I have to take care of you. Are we that fucking worthless to you?!"

"You don't know Rock! You have no fucking idea how hard this is!"

"You fucking coward! You've survived every piece of shit situation life has thrown at you, and _this_ of all things is going to be what kills you?!"

His words managed to break through the wall she'd put up and her tone seemed to calm as she struggled to defend herself, "Rock…"

Her husband wasn't quite finished, "No! If you hate us that fucking much, if sucking up your pride and letting me take care of you for a couple of months is worth denying your children their mother and me the woman I love than go ahead and fucking do it!"

She looked down at the gun; her whole life in that amalgam of iron and ivory. Her tears had all but ceased and while she failed to smile, she was no longer frowning. She ejected the magazine and pulled the slide back clearing the chamber before placing the weapon on the floor beside her.

She looked up to Rock who was staring at her with those big brown eyes. She wished she had the means to express how sorry she was. Luckily for her, all she needed was his name, "Rock…"


	9. Chapter 9

"Revy!" Rock called from the doorway of their home.

"Be down in a minute!" She replied from their bedroom.

Rock had just finished tucking the twins into their car seats when he peaked back into the house. Revy descended the staircase with the assistance of crutches like a pro. While 8 months had passed, Revy fought harder than ever to get herself out of that chair. As soon as she received her physical therapy regimen, she exercised the muscles in her legs everyday until she nearly passed out from the pain. Now here she was, her left leg was cleared for full use one month ahead of schedule and today was the day she would receive the verdict on her right.

Rock's eyes followed her as she descended the stairs. She wore a much more socially acceptable get up of a tight pair of jeans with a tight but complete black tank top. Her hair was tied back as usual and as she walked towards him, he hadn't even realized how complete lost in her he was. Now just a few inches away from him, she asked, "Rock?"

"Huh?" He replied as he snapped out of it.

"You okay Rock?"

He smiled warmly, "Yeah, I just can't believe how lucky I am."

Revy returned the smile and gave him a kiss before replying, "Bullshit. I'm the one who's lucky."

-

An hour later, Revy sat back on a table in her doctor's office. The doctor carefully manipulated her leg, constantly questioning if his movements caused her any pain; sometimes they did, sometimes they didn't. Remarkably, she was very quiet throughout the exam and didn't even utter a single profanity. In fact the only sound to come out of her was laughter as the doctor ran an instrument across the bottom of her foot.

The doctor let her leg go and she carefully lowered it, "Well Rebecca…"

Here it was. The next words out of his mouth would determine whether or not her life would return to normal now, or in another month.

"…everything looks great. The pain you're experiencing is normal for an injury of this type and isn't a result of the injury, but of the healing process. Muscle damage is unfortunately very difficult to repair. While I'm going to suggest you avoid even using a cane--"

While the doctor had many more doctorly things to say, Revy nearly tackled the doctor as she wrapped her arms around him, "Oh thank you doc!"

The old man's eyes widened and he let out a deep groan as she squeezed him, "Rebecca…can't breathe…"

She quickly realized she was practically assaulting the doctor and pulled away, "Sorry. What were you saying?"

The doctor fixed his lab coat and replied, "While I don't believe a cane is necessary, I will ask that you take it easy until you've gotten your strength back. The most efficient way to heal the muscles is to use them as you know how. Flinching and limping are natural, but will delay the process."

"Can I at least get pain meds?" Revy asked.

"At this point your body's acclimated to the prescription and I'd have to order a dosage I'm not comfortable recommending. Instead, I'm going to insist on the oldest remedy in the book," The doctor replied.

"And that is?" Revy asked curiously.

The doctor smiled, "Hard alcohol. Don't shoot your liver in a day; just try to take the edge off."

Revy's smile was immeasurable, "Doc, you've made my day…" She carefully slid from the table, finally putting her weight on both feet for the first time in months. The doctor quickly tried to help her but was a bit too slow. She felt the pain he mentioned, but was too excited to let it slow her down, "…are we done here?"

The doctor smiled, "Go on kid; get out of here and enjoy your legs."

Rock sat in the lobby of the doctor's office with the twins in a stroller beside him. A part of him was planning for the worst just so he wouldn't be disappointed if she received bad news. The last thing he expected was the sight that had fallen on him. The door to the patient rooms cracked open, his eyes following it as though it moved in slow motion. Within seconds, Revy walked around the door and towards him.

His mouth fell agape at the sight of his wife walking towards him. He could see she was fending off pain with every step but that didn't matter; she was walking. No crutch, walker, or cane, just her own two legs.

She stood in front of him and looked down on him with a smile on her face, "Hey you."

"Hey…" Rock replied, "…are you…"

She smiled as she quietly interrupted him, "I'm walking on it aren't I?"

He stood from his seat, wrapped his arms around her and brought their smiles to meet.

They pulled apart after a kiss that seemed to span days. She looked down to the stroller and took in the sight of her children. Finally, she could be their mother again.

"You know Revy?"

"Yeah Rock?" She asked with a smile.

"I think we were both wrong." Rock replied bringing her to look at him inquisitively, "_We_ are the lucky ones."

* * *

_And that, as they say, is that. If you made it this far, I hope you enjoyed it :)_

_There aren't enough enough words in the English language for me to fully express my gratitude to unkeptsecret for all of her help with this._

_A__lso, a very big thank you to everyone who has stuck it out through all of my stories. I appreciate the kind words and constructive criticisms you've shared._

_Thanks for reading,_

_-jm_


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